Today is a Good Day is a non-profit that supports American families who experience the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Martha Sharkey, who founded the organization alongside her husband Paul back in 2014, said that the NICU journey is a roller coaster as it is full of ups and downs, and you don't know what your future is going to look like, so they live by the motto one day at a time.
That is how they got through their own three-month journey in the NICU at Abington Hospital. The Wyndmoor couple discovered they were expecting back in July 2010, with their twin girls due the following March.
Sharkey twins born at just 23 weeks gestation
Martha told WHYY she did not feel quite right in November, so she went to get checked out that month. She was soon admitted to the hospital with Martha giving birth five days later, on November 14, 2010, to Claire Josephine and Mary Gladys.
The twins arrived at just 23 weeks gestation. Mary weighed one pound four ounces, and Claire weighed one pound two ounces. Martha recalled that her husband looked at her and said they would leave the hospital with two, one, or none, and they would be okay with whichever path was chosen for them.
The twin girls were so fragile, but the babies were fighters. Martha said that each day was different, and they had to make medical decisions, with both praying for the best outcome. The most difficult part was that they had to go home every night without their babies.
Martha said they had many difficult moments at the beginning and difficult days. She added that you have got to keep taking it one day, one minute, one moment at a time. The couple got some unfortunate news, though, as Mary passed away two weeks after she was born.
She said Mary's death rocked their world as she was their stronger twin at birth. Martha and Paul said goodbye to their daughter and worked hard to help Claire continue her fight to stay alive.
Sharkey pays it forward with "Today is a Good Day"
The family kept track of the good days with the help of daily journaling, and they would rejoice at the small wins. The couple learned how to bond with their baby girl by creating bonding squares for scent. They used that to read to Claire and be active in her care. That worked wonders as Claire finally came home after more than 100 days in the NICU.
Martha recalled that it was such a big day and milestone for them. The friendships that they made and the gratitude for all the support they got pulled the Sharkeys back to Abington Hospital. They would take Claire to the NICU to provide inspiration to other parents who were still on their journey.
The Penn State grads soon decided to start "Today is a Good Day," which provides hope to NICU families. The non-profit started in Abington Hospital and now services 17 hospitals across six states.
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